Because I've Seen the Dark Side Too
by blueink3
Summary: Will is in love but out of his league with Emma. Shelby is in a little over her head with Beth. Sometimes help is found in the most unlikely of places. Shell Friendship. Wemma.
1. Well I'm a Lot Like You

School was out, glee was on hiatus, and Will spent most of his waking hours loathing a dentist he had never met. All in all, it had been a pretty uneventful summer so far.

Lying on his couch, he absentmindedly flipped through channels. Baseball games, tv movies – nothing mattered anymore because he had no one to watch them with. He realized how bad it had gotten when a commercial for Lysol caused his eyes to water and his chest to hurt. Emma's favorite scent was lemon.

The doorbell rang and he frowned. He attempted to extinguish the small shred of hope that flared in his chest at the thought of Emma on the other side. Jogging the last few steps, he flung the door open to find not Emma, but Shelby bouncing a very fussy Beth in her arms.

Will had never seen her look so flustered. Her hair was a mess, there were tears in her eyes and it looked as if she hadn't slept in days. Judging by the wailing coming from the child in her arms, Will guessed she hadn't.

"Shelby?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know where else to go."

Shelby was the last person Will expected to see on his doorstep. Other than a purely platonic, congratulatory hug after Regionals, Will hadn't heard from her. He had long since discarded the number she scribbled out for him after the make-out session that never should have happened.

Will stepped back and ushered her inside. "What's wrong?"

"She won't sleep. She hates the bottle." Shelby shifted the baby in her arms. "It's like she knows I'm not her mother."

Will led her over to the couch. "I'm sure that's not true."

Shelby wiped a tear from her cheek with her free hand. "Yes, it is. You should see the way she looks at me."

She collapsed on the couch and took a deep breath before finally looking at the man in front of her. "I'm so sorry. I know we're not… we haven't…" she made some noncommittal gesture between the two of them, "but I had nowhere else to go."

"It's not a problem at all, but I really don't know anything about babies. I don't know how much help I can be." He ran a hand through his hair and flinched as Beth's wailing hit a higher octave. "Don't you have any friends who can help you out?"

Shelby let out a bitter chuckle. "My all or nothing personality hasn't exactly endeared me to a lot of people. I know I'm not an easy pill to swallow." She bit her lip as another tear fell. "You might be the only friend I have."

She stood again and began to pace the length of his living room, bouncing the red-faced infant in her arms.

"I don't know what I was getting myself into."

Will shrugged. "No first-time parent knows what they're getting themselves into." The pain washed over his face like a wave and his shoulders sagged. "Trust me. I know."

Shelby's head shot up at his confession and she finally noticed the way his eyes lingered on the baby. "What?"

"Nothing." Will shook his head, instantly regretting bringing up the topic that he had worked so hard to ignore.

Shelby didn't say anything, but continued to give him a calculating glance and eventually the words came tumbling out before he could stop them.

"She was almost mine." Will ran a hand over his face and gestured to Beth.

Shelby's eyes flicked from him to the unhappy child in her arms. "What do you mean?"

Will slumped down on the couch and dropped his head into his hands. "Almost a year ago, my wife told me she was pregnant."

"But…" Shelby prompted. She watched as the broken man in front of her let out a shuddering breath.

"But she wasn't. It was a hysterical pregnancy. And rather than tell me I wasn't going to be a father, she attempted to adopt Quinn's baby behind my back."

"Oh, Will." Shelby stilled her arms and took a step closer to him.

Will took a deep breath and leaned back. "She kept up the charade longer than you'd think she'd be able to. And I was the fool who fell for it."

Shelby took a seat next to him on the couch. "You're not a fool, Will. We see what we want to see. And from the way I see you looking at this baby, I can tell you would have made a fantastic father."

Will let out a stifled sob as Shelby ran her hand up and down her back.

"Oh don't you go crying on me too. I can only comfort one person at a time. And I'm not even doing a very good job at that."

Will smiled and brushed his tears away with the back of his hand. "May I?" He gestured to the baby.

"Please do." Shelby deposited the pink bundle into Will's awaiting arms. Her cries got louder and he stood to walk her around the room. He began to hum "You Are My Sunshine" and, gradually, Beth's cries became whimpers before she quieted altogether.

Shelby's jaw dropped. "How did you do that?"

He chuckled as the baby stared back at him. "I have absolutely no idea, but at least we know she has a set of pipes."

"No kidding. My neighbors know too." Shelby leaned back against the couch and let her eyes close. "Don't mind me. I'm just going to relish the silence for a few moments."

"Take your time. The two of us will be just fine." Will continued to hum as he slowly swayed back and forth.

"She likes your shirt."

Will looked up. "Really?"

Shelby nodded. "She's nuzzling into it. She does that with surfaces she likes. Like the comforter on my bed or the sponge we use in the bath."

Will looked down and, sure enough, the baby was burrowing into the crook of his elbow. He leaned down and gently rubbed his nose across the tuft of hair on her head, inhaling the scent of Johnson's shampoo and baby powder.

"She smells good."

Shelby smiled. "Yeah, she does. When she falls asleep on my chest, I could lay there for hours just smelling her."

"See? You know what you're doing." Will ran a finger over Beth's cheek. "I know it might not seem like it, but you do."

"So do you, apparently." Shelby pushed herself off the couch and made her way to the diaper bag she had not-so-gracefully discarded on the floor. "Do you mind if I heat up a bottle for her?"

"Not at all. I think you remember where the kitchen is."

"Indeed I do," she winked at him.

Will rolled his eyes. "Don't get any ideas."

Shelby laughed outright. "Trust me, you're safe. My ideas are a bit preoccupied with diapers and infant Tylenol."

Will was surprised at the sense of relief that washed over him. He was happy Shelby had come to him as a friend and nothing more. Friendship he could handle.

"How is your girlfriend anyway? Didn't you say she was the guidance counselor?" She shouted from the kitchen.

Grateful that Shelby was unable to see the pained look on his face, Will cleared his throat and called back, "She's dating her dentist."

The noise in the kitchen ceased and Shelby appeared in the doorway holding a bottle in one hand and a can of formula in the other.

"When did the dentist come into the picture?"

Will sighed. "Shortly after she found out about you and me."

Shelby's face fell. "Oh Will, I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologize. You had nothing to do with it. It was my fault. I made a mess of things and now… well, let's just say it hasn't been a very good summer."

"It isn't Carl Howell, is it?"

Will's eyebrows shot up and he tensed. "How did you know?" Beth sensed his tension and started to whimper. He absentmindedly bounced her up and down.

"He's my dentist, too."

"What?" The reply came out sharper than Will had intended and Beth started crying. His frustration immediately vanished as he attempted to calm the baby in his arms. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I didn't mean it. Shh, I didn't mean it."

Shelby giggled from the doorway. "She has you absolutely wrapped around her finger."

"Well, when you're this cute," Will nodded towards the baby, "it's not hard."

Shelby's face grew serious for a moment. "I'm sorry your wife did what she did. I meant what I said – you would have made a wonderful father. And I'm sure you will one day."

Will's throat felt tight, but he managed a quiet, "Thank you."

Shelby nodded and disappeared into the kitchen again, leaving Will alone with the baby. He studied her features, wondering what would have happened had she been his. It never would have worked, he knew that. His marriage was over long before pregnancy tests came into the picture. But still, it was nice to wonder. Shelby's words came back to him as he gently swayed back and forth: _I'm sure you will one day._ The child he pictured was not the one in his arms, with her mother's features and her father's complexion. No, the child he saw had porcelain skin and strawberry hair curled atop her head. Will closed his eyes and let the vision disappear. It only made the ache worse.

Shelby returned and handed him the bottle. "You wanna try?"

"Why not?" Will brought the bottle to Beth's mouth and watched as she hungrily sucked it down. "Tyke's got quite an appetite."

"Yes she does." Shelby sat on the couch again.

"So what's this dentist like?"

"Carl Howell?"

Will stopped staring at the baby and looked up. "I'd prefer not to use his name."

Shelby grinned. "He's attractive."

Will glared. "Wrong choice of words, Shelby."

"But it's true! He is!" Shelby leaned back and closed her eyes again. "Tall, dark, and handsome."

Will made a noise of disgust, causing Shelby to laugh.

"Is he nice?"

Shelby cocked her head at him. "He always has been to me."

Will nodded and returned his attention to the baby. "If he makes her happy, then…" He let the thought trail off.

"You're a good man, Will."

He let out a sarcastic snort. "Not everyone seems to think so."

"I've seen the way your kids look at you. You were the glue that held them together at Regionals. Without you, they would have fallen apart." Shelby stood and placed a hand on his arm. "What's her name?"

"Emma."

Shelby squeezed him. "She'll come around."

Will didn't know how to respond so he let the comfortable silence hang in the air. Shelby ran a hand across Beth's head as the bottle popped out of her mouth. 

"Is she done?"

Shelby shook her head. "She needs to be burped." She went to take the baby from Will but he held tight.

"I can do it, just… you know, show me how."

Shelby smiled and placed a blanket over Will's right shoulder as she directed him to shift the baby in his arms. Once he had a secure hand under her tiny butt, he gently patted her back.

"This is the gross part, isn't it," Will said as the baby gripped his collar between her fingers.

"Well, it's not pretty, but it's definitely not the worst."

Beth made a noise and Shelby wiped up the formula that came back up from the baby's mouth. "Not bad, Mr. Schuester."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Wow, I was expecting something out of The Exorcist."

Shelby laughed. "Babies can only hold so much stuff." She handed him the bottle again. "Now she'll finish it."

Will was surprised at how easy it was the maneuver the baby. It was as if he had been doing it all his life.

Shelby returned to the couch. "Thanks for letting us gatecrash."

"You can crash anytime you want," Will said as he rubbed Beth's cheek with his finger.

Shelby silently watched as Will began to hum again. Her daughter locked eyes with Will and didn't look away. She cleared her throat, "How's Rachel?"

Will looked up, surprised. "She's good. Very happy that the club gets another year. She's been emailing me potential set lists every other day."

Shelby laughed, but sobered quickly. "How did she take the adoption?"

"Of Beth?" Shelby nodded and Will sighed. "She didn't really talk about it. But I could tell it was eating her up. Rachel's hardly ever quiet."

"I'm an awful person." Shelby buried her face in her hands. Will pulled them away.

"No, you're not. And Rachel knows that. She also knows that, while you might not have the bond that mothers and daughters do, you'll still be there." Will rubbed his free hand up and down Shelby's arm. "Has she seen Beth?"

Shelby nodded. "I told Rachel she could come over whenever she wanted. Quinn and Noah too. But only Rachel and Noah have come."

"How did Puck take it?"

"I could tell it was hard for him to leave, but I think he's happy just to spend time with her. He seemed a little lost as to what to do, but he's getting better."

"Quinn will come around. It can't be easy for her." Will glanced down at the baby in his arms and tried to imagine what it must feel like to give your child up. Shelby broke him out of his depressing train of thought.

"Can I ask a big favor?"

"Of course." Will removed the bottle as Beth drifted off to sleep.

"I'm helping the new Vocal Adrenaline coach with auditions from 4-6 tomorrow. Day care only goes until 3…"

"You want me to take her?"

Shelby bit her lip. "Would you mind?"

Will shook his head. "Babysitting for a few hours doesn't concern me. What concerns me is that Vocal Adrenaline is holding auditions in _June._"

Shelby laughed. "We like to have a leg up on the competition."

Will rolled his eyes. "Don't I know it."

Shelby stood and gathered up Beth's things. "I should probably get her home and put her to bed."

Will stood and passed the baby off as Shelby grabbed his hand.

"Will, I can't thank you enough for tonight."

He smiled the first genuine smile in what felt like weeks. "It was my pleasure."

"I'll drop her off around 3:30?"

"Sounds good," Will said as he eased the diaper strap over Shelby's shoulder. Shelby flashed him a smile as she opened the door, placing a hand on the side of his cheek.

"Chin up, Will."

As she let her hand fall from his face, he grabbed it and gave it a squeeze, letting her know just how much he needed tonight too.

He shut the door and leaned against it, staring at the muted baseball game on the television. The hurt was still there but, with the weight of Beth in his arms still fresh in his mind, he noticed the pain had dulled to an ache.

Summer was looking up.

Could be continued… Should I? I have Wemma ideas like whoa.


	2. When the Night Falls On You

**I'm so sorry about the delay, but things have been all sorts of crazy. This chapter is a little more Wemma and a little less Shell friendship, but we'll get back to that. Don't you worry your pretty little socks off. **

Will paced the length of his living room, scouring the floors and surfaces for anything that a small child could pop in its mouth. Picking up a final piece of lint off the couch, he glanced at the clock: 3:29.

His agreement to watch Beth had been hastily made. He had been lonely and depressed and, once he really thought about it, he realized that watching the child that should have been his was probably not doing wonders for his emotional stability.

Will sighed and hid yet another sharp object. He didn't know the first thing about babies – except that babies and sharp objects did not play well together.

He could feel the fear start to build up at the thought of something horrible befalling Beth, but a knock at the door interrupted his impending panic attack. He opened it to reveal Shelby and a much happier Beth on the other side.

"Right on time."

Shelby handed him the diaper bag. "I'm nothing if not punctual." She strode into the living room and placed Beth's carrier on the carpet. "Her formula is in the diaper bag as are diapers and wipes. She just woke up from a nap so please try and keep her awake so she sleeps tonight."

"Are you sure I'm the right person for the job?" Will glanced skeptically at the heavy diaper bag in his hand and the seemingly benign baby in her seat.

"Right now, you're the only person for the job."

"You're not exactly bathing me in the warm glow of confidence here, Shelby." 

She laughed. "You're gonna be just fine. I've written out detailed instructions with her schedule, her formula measurement, etc. Any questions?"

Will snorted. "Uh yeah, but if I start asking them, you'll never get out of here."

"All right, thank you again for doing this. I'll have my phone on me if you need anything."

"Okay." He made his voice sound more confident that he felt as the baby stared up at him.

"She's judging me."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Can babies smell fear?"

"I'm not even going to answer that." Shelby headed for the door, but paused with her hand on the knob. "Wanna know a little trick? If you hook the plastic elephant to the handle of the carrier, she'll be happy for at least an hour."

"Really?"

"Yep, she's easy."

"My kind of girl." Will backtracked when Shelby's eyes widened. "I mean, that's… not what I meant. I don't like easy girls. Why would I? I just – I…" he rambled.

Shelby bit her lip as she watched his ears turn pink.

"I meant that's my kind of baby. Not girl. _Baby_."

Shelby could contain her laughter no longer. "I know that's what you meant," she swung the door open, "but you're cute when you're flustered."

She turned to leave but pulled up short when she came face to face with Emma, hand poised about to knock. Both women froze and stared at each other, mouths agape. Will knew that Emma had clearly heard Shelby's last statement – her eyes glazed over as she stared at the brunette in front of her.

"Oh, you must be Emma." Shelby gave her a warm smile.

"I-I'm sorry, I should have called first." Emma turned to leave, her eyes never once meeting Will's.

"Wait! It's…" Shelby looked helplessly between Will in the apartment and Emma in the hallway. "It's not what you think. Although I don't really know what you think, but whatever it is, it's not that," Shelby rambled on.

"I just came to, um," Emma held up the bag in her hand. "Will left this in the lounge. I thought he might need it… I'm sorry, I really should have called." Emma turned to leave again.

"I need it." Will stepped into the hallway and all parties present knew he wasn't talking about the bag. The silence hung thick in the air and Shelby cleared her throat.

"I should get going. Thanks again, Will. If she needs anything, call me." Shelby rushed passed Emma and down the stairs.

Will glanced at Emma who seemed to be memorizing every nook and cranny of his hallway – any distraction to keep her eyes from finding his.

"Do you want to come in?"

Emma finally met his gaze. "She?"

Will smiled. "Yeah, she. Come on in and meet her." He held out his hand but Emma didn't take it.

"So, Shelby wasn't here to…" She let the sentence trail off. "I'm sorry that wasn't my business."

Will let his hand drop. "No. No she wasn't."

"And the 'she' in question is…"

"Beth."

Emma's eyes widened but other than that, she remained fairly poker-faced.

"Shelby needed a favor and I was available."

The sound of Beth's cries sliced through the tension in the hallway. Will left Emma in the doorway and hurried to the living room, bending over the carrier on the floor, and gently lifting Beth into his arms.

Emma followed him slowly as if in a daze and Will felt her eyes on him as he bounced the baby.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Mommy will be back." He brushed the wisps of hair out of her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. Beth eventually calmed down and rested her head on Will's chest. He looked up to find Emma staring at him, her jaw slightly dropped. "Em, you can come closer. She doesn't bite." Beth gurgled and began to suck on Will's shoulder. "Not hard anyway. She doesn't have any teeth."

That comment finally drew a smile from Emma.

"Seriously, Em, you don't have to stand ten feet away."

"No, I'm okay over here."

Will watched her cheeks flush and he smirked. She always was adorable when flustered.

"You're good with her."

Will shrugged. "Baptism by fire." Emma finally met his gaze and held it. "Thank you for bringing the bag."

"I didn't want you to think you had lost it."

"I appreciate it."

Emma smoothed her hands over her skirt and sat on the couch, watching Will sway back and forth with Beth in his arms.

"Have you been eating?"

"Excuse me?"

Emma pointed to where his shirt rode up, but made sure to avert her eyes. "I can practically count your ribs. You look ill."

Will cleared his throat. "It's been a rough summer."

"Why?"

"How's Carl?"

Emma looked taken aback. It clearly wasn't the response she was expecting. She looked almost pained as she fiddled with the hem on her shirt.

"He's, uh, he's fine." She picked non-existent lint from her shirt. "But I was asking about you."

Will stared at the baby in his arms, looking for any type of distraction. But the more he stared at her, the harder it became to hold her gaze. The tiny blue eyes that were so mesmerized by the contours of his face reflected everything that he had lost, and everything he should have had. Despite his best efforts, he felt his throat closing up and the need to get out of the room was stronger than any guilt he might have felt over being impolite.

"Can you take her?"

"Will, I - "

"I need you to take her. Please." Without waiting for an answer, Will deposited the baby awkwardly in Emma's arms and rushed off to the bedroom.

Slamming the door behind him, he tugged the t-shirt he wore away from his neck in an attempt to shake the inescapable feeling of suffocation before ripping the shirt off altogether and sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

Emma knocked on the door a moment later.

"Will?" Her voice was shaky. Will knew he shouldn't have left Beth with her, especially given how messy babies were, but he felt as if the walls were closing in on him and his only options were run or pass out.

He chose run.

"Will, are you all right? Can I come in?"

Will let a muffled, "Yeah" slip through his fingers as he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes. He heard the creak of the hinge but didn't dare look up. Only when Beth whimpered did he glance at the door. The sight would have made him laugh had his heart not broken first. Emma stood in the doorway holding Beth at arms' length as the baby reached out for Will.

"I can't… I need you to…"

Will held his arms out and Emma awkwardly passed Beth to him.

"I'm sorry, Em, I shouldn't have done that."

"I just… I'm not ready…"

"I know."

"It's babies and I can't - "

He grabbed her hand. "I know. You don't need to explain to me."

So much passed between them with so few words. Emma _wanted_ to hold Beth, but she couldn't. Not yet. Will _wanted_ Emma but couldn't have her… not yet.

"Are you all right?" Emma kept her eyes on the carpet and Will realized that she refused to meet his gaze because he was, in fact, shirtless.

Will let go of Emma and laid the baby down on the bed, keeping a hand on her stomach, as he grabbed his t-shirt and threw it over his head.

"Just needed some air."

"You're not well, Will."

Will felt tears prick the corners of his eyes as he gently rubbed Beth's stomach. "My guidance counselor hasn't exactly been in session."

Emma smiled and sat on the bed next to him. "I am now."

They sat in silence with Beth resting between them, grabbing her toes and gurgling at the ceiling as Will's palm kept her gently, but firmly in place.

"It hurts to look at her."

"Beth?"

"Both of you."

Will heard Emma's intake of breath and he felt her weight disappear from the bed.

He knew he shouldn't have said it. Hurting her would only hurt him, and she did not need to know just how much losing her was affecting him. Though he wore his heart on his sleeve, his heartbreak was one thing he tried not to broadcast.

Emma cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"Don't. You don't owe me anything."

Will glanced down at the baby. "I don't know why I agreed to watch her."

It was Emma's turn to reach out and squeeze his hand. "Because, despite some of the stupid things you do, you're a good man."

"Am I?" He gave a humorless chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder." Will let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair. "Between Regionals and, well, _us_… I didn't really think about what time of the year it was. Quinn made some comment in my kitchen about how she had a month left and it should have dawned then, but… when we rushed her to the hospital… I wasn't nearly prepared."

"Will, nothing can prepare you for that. There's no guide for - "

"Feeling like your heart is being ripped out for a third time?"

Emma was about to finish her thought, but the Will's words finally registered in her brain.

"Third?"

Will ticked them off on his fingers. "Terri and the fake pregnancy, taking Quinn to the hospital, and you and your dentist, no offense." He held up his hand. "Three."

"Will…"

Emma looked at him with such pity that Will felt equal parts like curling up in a ball in the corner of his room and putting his college baseball bat through the window.

"Please don't feel sorry for me. I don't think I can take it."

Emma's face snapped into neutral and she sat down on the bed again.

"You know, she hasn't cried since you picked her up."

Will appreciated the change in topic and looked at the baby on the bed, lifting her legs up and then rolling to the side when she could hold them up no longer.

"You gotta admit, she's kinda cute." Will tickled Beth's belly and she giggled. "I thought of adopting her, actually."

Emma's eyes went wider than normal. "You did?"

Will nodded. "A little bit after Sectionals. Once the dust settled with Terri. It crossed my mind."

"So why didn't you…" Emma trailed off and allowed her fingertip to hover above Beth's head before letting it softly graze across her cheek.

Will sighed. "I didn't want her to grow up in a single parent home."

Emma looked confused. "But… she's still growing up in a single parent home."

Will tensed but focused on Emma's finger tracing the dimples in Beth's smile. "I'm sure Shelby will find someone."

"I'm sure you would have, too."

And before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "I did."

As he watched the blood drain from Emma's face, he couldn't believe the words had actually left his mouth. Sure, he thought of a life with her: when grocery shopping, he thought about what she would buy, when watching TV, he wondered if she would like the program. But now he had made those fantasies public knowledge and the desire to crawl under the bed was growing by the moment.

"What?" The finger that stroked Beth's cheek had frozen in midair.

"Emma…" He paused for a moment, as if to debate whether or not to continue digging his hole, but he had already driven the shovel into the ground. No sense in stopping now. "I meant what I told you in the hallway. I'm in love with you." Will let the hand that wasn't holding onto Beth cup Emma's cheek. "I know I've hurt you. I know I deserve nothing more than for you to run out of here and slam the door behind you, but you have to know."

"Will…"

"Wait. Please." His hand fell from her cheek. "I have no right to say this to you. And if you're happy then… that's all I really want. It's all I've ever wanted. I'm happy if you're happy, even if I'm not the one you're happy with."

Silence.

"So… are you happy?" Will audibly swallowed, his fear at the answer palpable.

Tears pooled in Emma's eyes. "Yes."

The pain in Will's chest started off slow enough: severe yet contained, but as Emma's answered played on loop in his head, the pain spread from his chest to his lungs, down his arms, and through his knees. And although his heart seemed stapled to the front of his cardigan, his pain he buried deep down to wallow in later. Alone.

He schooled his face into a smile and cleared the tears that threatened to choke his throat. "That's all I needed to know."

And when Emma grinned, Will inwardly sighed. She bought it.

Beth saved him from further attempts to destroy his dignity by making her hunger known. Will seized the distraction by picking Beth up off the bed and walking into the living room with her, leaving Emma no choice but to follow.

"I think she's hungry," he said when he heard Emma's footsteps behind him. He grabbed the diaper bag Shelby had dropped by the couch and headed into the kitchen. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Me? Uh, sure." Emma stammered as Will handed her a bottle and a can of powdered formula.

"Just heat up some water and put two scoops of powder in the bottle."

"That's it?"

Will shifted Beth from one arm into the crook of the other. "Well, it's not exactly a crash course in parenting but it's a start."

Emma set the kettle on the stove and scooped the powder into the bottom of the bottle. "I'd make an awful mother."

"No you wouldn't." Will replied with more conviction than he meant to, causing Emma to sharply look up.

She rolled her eyes. "Will, come on. I can't even hold a baby without feeling the need to wipe her down with Clorox."

"Well, it would make bath time easier."

Emma burst out laughing and Will felt a weight lift from his chest. He loved the sound of her laugh.

"You'll make a great father one day."

Will looked down at Beth in his arms and sighed. "Maybe."

Emma pulled the kettle off the stove and poured it into the bottle, shaking it up. "If you don't have children one day, that would just be a crime against parenting. The glee kids already see you as a father. You're so good - " Emma pulled up short when she caught Will staring at her. "What I mean is… it would be a shame if you didn't have kids." She practically shoved the bottle into his hands.

"Thanks." He was genuinely touched that she saw him like that. "Hold out your wrist."

"What? Why?" But she complied anyway and Will held the bottle up.

"This has dairy in it. I'm going to put two drops on your wrist, you tell me if it's too hot, and I promise I'll wipe it off immediately. Okay?" Emma nodded. "You count."

Emma ticked off the seconds as Will dropped two drops of formula on the pulse point in her wrist.

"Too hot?" She shook her head and he grabbed a towel and wiped it off.

"Twelve seconds," she exhaled.

"New record." Will smiled at Emma and put the bottle to Beth's lips. She slurped it down greedily. He sat at the breakfast table as Emma leaned against the counter, watching them.

"She eats more than you do."

"I eat."

"Not enough. What happened to all of those chocolate chip cookies?"

"The wife left and the cookies went with her."

"Oh."

He smiled. "As did the craft room."

Will had gotten to a point in his life where he could speak about Terri without breaking down into tears or putting his fist through a wall. It was progress.

Emma attempted to continue the argument over his eating habits but he held up a hand.

"Emma, I've taken the high road all afternoon. Please don't make me regret it." He smiled to show the lightness of his tone.

She sighed. "You really are a good man."

"You keep saying that."

"One of the best, in fact." Emma placed her palm against his stubbled cheek. "But don't let it go to your head."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma swung the door open two hours later and Shelby bit back her surprise at seeing the redhead on the other side.

"Oh. Hi." Shelby shook her head. "Sorry, I was expecting Will to answer."

"He was a little… wary … about taking on Beth by himself, so I promised to stick around."

Shelby peeked over Emma's shoulder. "It's awfully quiet in there."

Emma chuckled. "I think they wore each other out." She moved away from the door and led Shelby into the living room where Will was sprawled out on the couch, Beth asleep on his chest.

Shelby bit her lip and shook her head. "The adorableness of this makes up for the fact that she won't sleep at all tonight."

"I didn't have the heart to wake them."

"I don't really either, but it's somewhat necessary," Shelby whispered as she leaned over Will and tried to discern the best way to grab Beth without waking either of them. Will had one hand resting protectively behind Beth's head and the other on her back. Shelby gently lifted Will's hands and placed them by his sides, before deftly picking Beth up without disturbing either.

"Wow. You're good at that," Emma commented.

"Trust me, I wasn't always. If there's anything I've learned, it's that parenting is one giant experiment," Shelby said as she strapped Beth into her car seat. "I ruined many a naptime that way."

"She likes, _You Are My Sunshine,_" Emma blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

Emma pointed to Beth. "She was getting fussy so Will sang _You Are My Sunshine _and she fell right asleep. Well, they both did."

Shelby smiled. "I'm sorry I missed that. I'll remember it for future reference. Thanks."

"Should we wake him?" Emma gestured to Will as she watched his chest steadily rise and fall.

"Probably. It's only 5:45."

Shelby swung the diaper bag over her shoulder and picked up the carrier with the lightly snoring baby, before winking at Emma.

"I'll leave you to it, then."


End file.
